Ball tossing and catching toy



July 27, 1954 c. M. WILLIAMS BALL TOSSING ANDVICATCHINGY TOY Filed June4, 1951 Char/es M- Williams INVENTOR.

Patented July 27, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BALL TOSSING ANDCATCHING TOY Charles M. Williams, Amherst, Mass. Application June 4,1951, Serial No. 229,685

3 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inamusement devices and toys and has more particular reference to ahand-held toy characterized by several tethered balls which are adaptedto be skillfully tossed and caught in rather rapid predeterminedsuccession.

More specifically, the invention has to do with a handle which isgrasped and held in one hand by the user, and a freely rotatable wheelwhich is mounted on said handle, said wheel being characterized byradial spokes and said spokes being provided on their outer ends withtethering cords or the like which are, in turn, provided on their outerends with rubber balls of appropriate sizes and weights.

An object of the invention is to teach the user how to properly toss theballs, one by one, with the right hand over the left shoulder forexample, and to retrieve said balls with the same hand adjacent to theright hip and again toss the thus caught or retrieved balls in the samemanner, in a technique to be hereinafter more specifically revealed.

A significant object of the invention is to provide a simple, practicaland economical contrivance which teaches the principle of handling wheelrevolved tethered balls in a new way and through the medium of a uniqueconstruction and, in so doing, to provide a highly clever toy in whichmanufacturers, users and others will find their essential requirementsand needs fully met, contained and novelly available.

Other objects and advantages will become more readily apparent from thefollowing description and the accompanying sheet of illustrativedrawings.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings wherein like numerals are employedto designate like parts throughout the views:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a toy constructed in accordance withthe principles of the present invention showing the manner in which thesame is held and used.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the toy per se.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the toy appearing in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is a section taken on the plane of line 4-4 of Figure 3,looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings by distinguishing reference numerals andwith particular reference to Figure 2, it will be seen that the numeral6 designates a stick which may be referred to as a handle or hand-grip.This may be of wood or any suitable material and in practice it isapproximately eight inches long and one-half inch in diameter. As bestshown in Figure 4 the upper end of the stick is reduced to provide aspindle or journal 8 and an associated shoulder Ill. The aforementionedrotor or wheel is denoted by the numeral l2 and here again this may beof wood or any suitable material, said wheel being characterized by anannulus or hub l4 having a bearing l6 at its center to accommodate thejournal 8. There is a washer at I8 and an insertable and removablecotter pin at 20 which is passed through an opening in the journal andwhich coacts with the washer and hub in rotatably mounting the wheel, asa unit, on the handle. Radiating from the hub are several spokes 2|,these all being equivalent in length. Each spoke is approximately eightinches long. Connected to the respective outer ends of the respectivespokes are eyescrews 22 and these serve to accommodate the balls andtethering elements. Here each tethering element is a simple length ofcord 24 which may be some eighteen inches long. Suitably threaded orotherwise mounted on the outer end of the tethering cord is a rubberball 26 of appropriate weight and diameter, preferably a solid rubberball and also preferably one which is sponge rubber and not likely to doinjury if in the course of use it whacks or otherwise strikes the user.

In using the unique skill and talent developing ball tossing andcatching contrivance, it is obvious that the handle 6 may be grasped andheld in either hand. For the sake of illustration, and with reference toFigure 1, it is to be assumed that the handle is in the grasp of theleft hand L. H. And the handle should be poised at an approximate 45angle in front of the adjacent left shoulder L. S. The right hand R. H.is located at a level or adjacent to the right hip in the manner shown.Let it be assumed that the tethering cord 24 for the second ball, whichmay be designated B is loosely draped or hung over the left shouldersomewhat in the manner shown. The first or starting ball A is held inthe right hand. The remaining or third ball 0 is suspended as shown. Asfar as possible the right hand should be kept within the range of theright hip for both (1) tossing and (2) catching or retrieving purposes.Now, with the device set up in the manner shown and described the ball Ais held in the right hand and is tossed clear of the left cheek and overthe left shoulder with sufficient force that it yanks the wheel I 2 andstarts the wheel to spin in proportion to the rate of the force exertedthereon by the ball tossed. As

soon as the ball A is released, the ball C will swing around on itstethering cord and the player may catch the ball C and then throw it inthe direction of the arrow 28 over the left shoulder. By tossing theballs one by one and retrieving them one by one the ball return wheelmay be caused to rotate more or less continuously and the slower andmore rhythmical the tossing catching and turning motions, the moreeasily one may toss and catch the balls over and over to prove his skillin using the toy. With some it would be difficult to even get the wheelinto smooth rotation and only by trial and error and experience is itpossible to get the knack of doing what is necessary to quickly toss oneball and catch the next ball and toss and catch the next ball and so on.

Minor changes in shape, size, materials and rearrangement of parts maybe resorted to in actual practice provided no departure is made from theinvention as claimed.

Having described the invention, claimed as new is:

1. A toy through the medium of which several captive balls may be tossedby hand into the air one after another over the left shoulder of theuser, using the right hand and while the latter is situated and deftlyhandled and otherwise maneuvered in the area adjacent the side of theright hip, said balls constituting weights to be subsequently caught andthus retrieved in the same hand and quickly again tossed over the leftshoulder in repeated tossing and catching procedure, comprising arelatively short rigid handle adapted to :be grasped and held in anapproximately upright position with the left hand of the user, aposition which coincides, generally speaking, with the approximate planeof the users left shoulder, a freely rotatable wheel adapted to be givena required impetus and then kept in motion solely by the flight of theballs, said wheel having a relatively small hub mounted for idling andfree rotation on the upper end of said handle, a plurality of elongateequidistant circumferentially spaced spokes, said spokes beingsubstantially rigid and joined at their inner ends with the hub atcircumferentially spaced places and radiating from said hub in a planeat right angles to the axis of said handle, each spoke being of a lengthgreater than the diameter of said hub, a flexible tethering elementsecured to the outer end of each spoke, said flexible element being of aprescribed length, a length greater than the lengths of the handle andspokes respectively, and a ball affixed to the outer free end of eachtethering element, the flight of each ball resulting from theaforementioned tossing step and motion of said balls flying throughspace one after the other serving to set the wheel into motion and tokeep it in motion, aided 'by the pulling forces of the flexible elementsexerted on their respective spokes.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 wherein the upper end of said handleis provided with an inwhat is integral journal and an associatedshoulder, said hub being removably mounted for idling on said journaland resting in rotatable contact with said shoulder.

3. A toy through the medium of which several captive balls may be tossedby hand into predetermined general paths of flight one after anotherover the left shoulder of the user by way of the right hand and whilethe latter is held and deftly handled and otherwise utilized in the areaadjacent the side of the right hip of the user, said balls being adaptedto be subsequently caught one by one in the right hand and quickly andagain tossed over the left shoulder in sequential routine of tossing,catching and again tossing each ball, comprising a rigid handle adaptedto be grasped and held in an approximately upright position with theleft hand of the user, a position which coincides, generally speaking,with the approximate plane of the users left shoulder, said handle beingprovided on its upper end with a fixed journal and a complementalendthrust and journalling shoulder, a freely rotatable wheel adapted tobe given its required impetus and kept in motion as continuously as isreasonably possible by the flight of the balls in timed order one afterthe other, said wheel having a relatively small hub mounted for freeidling on said journal and resting on said endthrust shoulder, aplurality of elongate equidistant circurnferentially spaced spokes, saidspokes being substantially rigid and linearly straight and joined attheir respective inner ends with the hub at equidistantcircumferentially spaced points and radiating from said hub in a planeat right angles to the axis of the handle, each spoke being of a lengthgreater than the diameter of said hub, a flexible tethering elementsecured to the outer end of each spoke, said flexible element being of aprescribed length, a length greater than the lengths of the handle andspokes respectively, and a ball affixed to the outer free end of eachtethering element, the flight of each ball through its predeterminedpath of travel serving to set the wheel into motion and to keep it inmotion, aided by the pulling forces of the flexible tethering elementsexerted on their respective spokes.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

